MIES (Switzerland) – Japanese basketball has enjoyed a good period in recent years and this is largely due to its national team.
Japan has participated in the last two Olympic Tournaments and the last two editions of the FIBA World Cup.
The Japanese selections have long fascinated their fans. The country won the FIBA Asia Cup in 1965 and 1971, reaching the podium on other occasions.
Today, Japan’s national championship – the B. League – is booming, with the presence of many international players and coaches.
If you had to compose the best “All-Star Five” of all time, who would you choose?
Here are our choices:
Yuki Kawamura – Leader
Kawamura’s performance against France was memorable
Kawamura has been sensational at the lead over the past few summers. The 1.72 distributor managed solid performances during the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta (Indonesia), particularly excelling in dribbling and passing, often favoring his teammates rather than taking advantage of the spaces he created for himself. Japan coach Tom Hovasse told Kawamura not to hesitate to take his shots with confidence and since then, Kawamura has gained stature.
Kawamura was named MVP of the B. League the following season with the Yokohama B Corsairs jersey, then he amazed the basketball world at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Okinawa (Japan). Kawamura notably led Japan to a stunning success against Finland (98-88), decisive in qualifying for the Olympics. During this victory against the Susijengi, Kawamura accumulated 25 points and 9 assists.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Tournament, Kawamura came close to guiding his country to an unexpected triumph against France, accumulating 29 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. But a 4-point action from the Blues 10 seconds from time made it possible to force an extension, the protégés of coach Vincent Collet finally winning. Kawamura has been so good that he is currently playing in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. Only 23 years old, his future with the Japan jersey promises to be bright.
Takehiko Orimo – Meneur
In 2006, Orimo contributed a lot in attack
Orimo gave new meaning to the phrase “long career” by playing until the age of 49. Star of the Japanese selection which was finalist of the 1997 FIBA Asia Cup against Korea, Orimo was one of the best scorers of the event. He then played at the 1998 FIBA World Cup in Athens (Greece), where he averaged 8.8 points, with a 69% three-point success rate.
At the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Orimo led Japan in scoring with an average of 12.2 points per game. He reached or crossed the 10-point mark in each of the five games played, with a 13 out of 30 from long distance (43.3%). After that, he represented Japan in the 2007 and 2009 editions of the FIBA Asia Cup. In 2007, he distinguished himself by converting 21 of his 42 three-point shots (50%), and he averaged 13.0 points in 2009. His performances in the B. League have amazed people over the years. Before his retirement in 2019, Orimo became the first native-born Japanese to total 10,000 points in the national league.
Masatomo Taniguchi – Leader
Taniguchi’s finest overall performance was probably that performed at the Olympic Tournament in Munich (Germany) in 1972. A year after his triumph at the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, the Japanese team traveled to Germany, where Taniguchi shone by scoring a total of 191 points to become the tournament’s top scorer.
Left-handed, Taniguchi finished the competition with an average of 23.9 points per game. In the confrontation against Spain, he scored 39 points, also totaling 34 against Senegal. A pure shooter, Taniguchi was a constant threat on the outside.
Rui Hachimura – Winger
Hachimura competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics
When Hachimura played in the various Japanese youth teams, he was not just the best player on the team: he was also one of the best players in each of the competitions in which he participated. He was almost unstoppable with the ball in his hands. In a very competitive FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2014 in Dubai (UAE), he finished as the top scorer with an average of 22.6 points per game, while at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 in Cairo (Egypt), he was alone Canadian RJ Barrett (21.6 points per game), MVP of the tournament, did better than his 20.6 points per game average.
At the senior level, Hachimura hasn’t won anything yet, but he has already shown off his offensive talent on more than one occasion. At the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, before his rookie season in the NBA, he averaged 13.3 points per game. His best performance was his 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists against the Czech Republic, the future quarter-finalist. When Tokyo hosted the 2021 Olympics, the 2.03 forward was able to show off his progress in the NBA, finishing the Olympic Tournament with averages of 22.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hachimura averaged 22.0 points per game.
Yuta Watanabe – Interior
Watanabe represented Japan in France this summer
There’s a good reason Watanabe spent nearly six seasons in the NBA after his college career at George Washington. He is tall (2.06 m), he is fast and he is very skilled. Watanabe is also blessed with great versatility, enough to have no problem defending against players smaller or taller than him when he wears the Japan jersey, showing himself at the same time to be very comfortable both at inside and out.
Knowing how to take full advantage of spaces in transition, capable of scoring from long distance or attacking the basket, Watanabe has played a decisive role for Japan on numerous occasions, notably during the last two editions of the FIBA World Cup and the OJ. Coach Tom Hovasse fielded Watanabe an average of 36.9 minutes per game this summer in France. During the group stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Okinawa (Japan), Watanabe posted an average rating of 14.4. His 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds were the second best averages on his team, while with 1.8 blocks per game he was the best Japanese in this category.
Honorable mentions
Josh Hawkinson – Interior
Hawkinson was heroic against Finland
The naturalized interior only needed two summers to secure a place among the best Japanese national team players of all time. The 2.08 player was invaluable in rebounding and scoring in Okinawa during the group stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, helping Japan take 19e – out of 32 – final place, a result sufficient to qualify the Japanese for the Paris 2024 Olympics, during which he was once again excellent, with almost a double-double (points and rebounds) on average for a second consecutive summer .
At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Hawkinson had the best average rating of his team with 28.6, while being its best scorer with 21.0 points per game. His shooting success rate of 58.8% was the highest in the Japanese selection. Perhaps the most legendary performance from within took place in the decisive match against Finland in the world tournament, Japan managing to turn around a very compromised situation under his leadership. He finished this game with 28 points and 19 rebounds. This success completely revived Japan in the race for the Olympics.
Makoto Hiejima – Shooting guard
Hiejima’s 17 points were crucial against Finland at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023
‘Mo-Mo’ is the nickname that the Australians gave to Hiejima during his time with the Brisbane Bullets club in 2018 and 2019, because his offensive verve often allowed his team to experience strong moments, the famous “momentums ” who decide the outcome of a meeting. Hiejima can score from anywhere, whether shooting or penetrating, and he is adept at shooting free throws. Since his first tournament with the senior selection in 2013, during the FIBA Asia Cup in Manila (Philippines), the native of Fukuoka has been selected by the national coach each time.
A member of the Japanese teams that played in the last two editions of the FIBA World Cup, Hiejima stood out in the last world tournament by scoring 23 points against Venezuela, with a remarkable 6 of 7 three-pointers. His most significant performance came in the upset of Finland, converting his two winning shots and finishing with 17 points in the unexpected victory that boosted Japan’s Olympic qualification chances. Hiejima represented his country at the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Tournaments. His likely best overall performance in the FIBA Asia Cup came in 2015, when he averaged 15.9 points and 1.8 steals per game – the best of his team – to lead Japan to the semi-finals.
Yuta Tabuse – Meneur
Tabuse contributed to Japan’s fourth-place finish at the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup
The electrifying leader, who had a moment of glory while briefly playing in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, impressed during his time with the national youth teams. At the 1999 World Junior Championship, Tabuse averaged 11.1 points and 3.4 assists per game. Two years later in the same competition, he posted averages of 10.4 points and 3.1 assists per game. In his only major senior tournament with Japan, the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup, Tabuse’s 5.4 points and 3.0 assists per game average helped Japan advance to the final four of the event.
FIBA
*This “All-Star Five” and honorable mentions are absolutely subjective and in no way represent an official or precise recognition, nor the official position of FIBA. All comments are solely the responsibility of the author and the group of experts who created them to entertain fans.
